Dan Sartain Lives: The mishmash magazine review

Shaun Christie gave a 9/10 to Dan Sartain Lives for the mishmash magazine. Here's the review:

Black Betty comes from Birmingham, way down in Alabama. Well so does one Sir Dan Sartain. Alabama’s finest has finally followed up his well received 2006 LP ‘Join Dan Sartain’ with his latest ‘Dan Sartain Lives’. When I last spoke with Dan, the working title for this album was to be called Crimson Cinema of Death. This title sadly got left behind but the name lives on in an instrumental track which is currently streaming on Dan’s MySpace page (http://www.myspace.com/dansartain)

So why go with the title ‘Dan Sartain Lives’? Perhaps it is because of the long wait between albums, a statement that he in fact is still among the living. Maybe it’s a tip of the hat to those rumors of old. You know when rock stars are rumored to have died and then they find an exact lookalike replacement ala Paul McCartney. If so perhaps this Dan version 2.0 is trying to cover his tracks by using this album title. However, what gives the game away is that there’s no escaping this album is made by THE Dan Sartain - Master of the dark twang!

It opens with familiar territory in ‘Those Thoughts’ which would not have sounded out of place on his previous LP. But then ‘Anything I Say’ kicks in and gives us a glimpse of Dan’s real agenda. Dan states ‘doing anything that makes me feel fine’ I have a feeling one of those ‘things’ would be those glam rock drums that are pounding this song out of my stereo. He had previously mentioned that Gary Glitter would be an influence on this album and he wasn’t lying. A younger more feral ‘Rock N Roll Part 2’ should give you a good idea of its sound.

I first heard the song ‘Bohemian Grove’ via my 7” vinyl from Jack Whites Third Man Records label. Dan released a 7” on this label which included the songs 'Atheist Funeral' and 'Bohemian Grove.' The stark contrast between the album version and the Third Man version is instantly apparent. The piano driven vinyl version is now long gone and been replaced with a more upbeat 60s - 70s fuzz pop song. The vibe from this song instantly brings to mind a buddy holly type affair with a fuzz pedal and go-go dancers in the background.

Rockabilly is a genre that always seems too be bandied about when referencing Dan and his music, but the shoe does not fit in the case of “Dan Sartain Lives”. Granted earlier outings may have been construed as owing a debt to the rockabilly forefathers but the new album completely sheds that snake skin. Rockabilly like any musical genre these days is like Oprah’s waistline – it’s always expanding. So while he may be rooted with a rockabilly soul he has grown and reached further afield with this record.

‘Watcha Gonna Do’ is a great example of this. The song is a haunting tale of doo wop lament which is scenically backed by ominous organs. ‘Touch Me’ is a sexually charged ditty that makes use of pigeon style ‘cooing’ throughout its lusty groove soaked couple of minutes. Dan’s vocals on tracks like ‘Ruby Carroll’ and ‘Bad Things Will Happen’ seem more assured and stronger than they have ever been. Think Roy Orbison but from the wrong side of the tracks.


A definite downside with the album, though years in the making, is that its a very brief affair with most songs clocking in less than 3 minutes. But that is what you get with Dan Sartain, he does not add needlessly long intros, or 4 minute guitar solos because that’s what certain target demographic markets are asking for this year. He gets in and slays you in 30 minutes and then steals your wallet.

Dan Sartain Lives is Senor Sartain’s most accessible album to date with huge hooks that would make Moby Dick flinch. His songs embody a bygone era of American Rebels which sadly are being slowly eroded away from the mainstream. Dan Sartain Lives is the last American Rebel and you should give it a listen, as you never know it could be gone quicker than Jimmy Dean in a sports car.
Favorite Track Watcha Gonna Do
Least Favorite Track N/A
Recommend album? Heck Yeah

Dan Sartain Interview in Indierockreviews

This is an interview made by Thirst n’ Howl for www.indierockreviews.com:

IRR – So you’ve been touring quite a bit in England lately?
DS – Yeah, its been going better for me over there.

Irr How do you like England?
DS – It’s good man. I’ve finally figured out what to eat over there. It took years but I think I’ve got it. You usually can’t eat English food but there is tons of other food. Its kind of like all of America is closer to Mexico, so I don’t really trust a Mexican place in England. But we’re closer to Mexico so we have better Mexican food. I mean, we are better at imitating Mexican food cause we’re closer but they are better at imitating Italy or India. Actually there’s too much Indian food over there. Its tough to tell which is actually better.

IRR – Now when you are playing in England do you have a backing band?
DS – Yeah I get different guys all the time. Some of them are English guys when I m over there. Last time I had some guys from Atlanta, which isn’t too far from here. But I think I may have tapped out all my resources here with musicians in Alabama. They go “this is too crazy, I can’t do it.” Which I don’t get it cuz I’m not getting drunk or into fights or anything like that. They might prefer that if I did cuz than they would think this guy is cool.

IRR – So, no one is getting knifed or shot?
DS – No, no, not yet. There’s potential there for it I guess. Hasn’t happened yet. Pretty tame actually. These guys are like this sucks. I’m sick of the hotel rooms.

The whole interview can be read here.

Dan Sartain Lives review in ink19

It's sexy, it's smokey, it's dirty in a way that only southern white boys playing the blues can make it -- Dan Sartain's latest offering, Dan Sartain Lives, sounds about as modern as a skipping record... and that's a good thing.

Few can tap into the past without sounding nostalgic, but with the assistance of producer Liam Watson (who added his magic touch to The White Stripes' Elephant), the Alabama rockabilly reveler does just that. A Sartain release sounds more like a long lost record that's been collecting dust in your grandpa's attic than a crisp new release now available on CD, LP, or mp3!

With a vocal drawl that's a little like Lux Interior's, and a guitar sound that taps into the surf rock wave dominated by the likes of Dick Dale and Link Wray, Dan Sartain is a southern-fried shot of whiskey on a hot summer day. Fans of rockabilly, garage rock, and southern blues look alive! This sneaky little release has got the cure for all of your hip swinging ("Bohemian Grove"), speed freak strutting ("Walk Among the Cobras IV"), God-defying ("Atheist Funeral"), painful soul exposing ("What You Gonna Do?"), and after hours attempts at true love ("Ruby Carol") needs.

Jen Cray for www.ink19.com

More Press Cutings

Classic Rock

The Fly

Uncut

Dan Sartain Lives Review in the Herald Scotland

Here's the review.

Press of the week-end

Review of Dan Sartain Lives on theskinny.co.uk.

Review of the Leeds show @ the Brudenell Social Club by themusicfix.

Dan Sartain: Press Cutings

Dan Sartain posted lots of press cutings on myspace facebook. Here for you reviews/articles from:

(click on the link to see the cuting)

The Word

Uncut

Daily Mirror

The Guardian

The Guardian Guide

NME (news) NME (review)

The Fi?

To see all these cuting: myspace.

Atheist Funeral: XYZ review

Atheist Funeral is the editors pick this week on XYZ magazine. Here's the review:

The sun-scortched lands of Alabama have produced many seminal names over the years. From Nat King Cole to Hank Williams, the lineage of the deep south is drenched in history.

Having previously supported the likes of The White Stripes and The Hives, rockabilly singer/guitarist Dan Sartain is the latest Alabamaian to reach into the minds of UK youth. His new single “Atheist Funeral” is awash with all the Americana stereotypes you’d expect, only without the pomp or pretence of something less genuine. His obligatory quiff and pencil tash may be a calculated image choice but with such a haunting, authentic sound who cares? Confronting subjects such as death and the afterlife he’s never uncomfortable in his melancholy. Distorted bass and reverb-drenched drums give the single an unpolished beauty and, as Sartain croons in his psycho-Elvis style, you can’t help but become fond of his modern take on Americana.

The similarly morose B-side, “Crimson Cinema of Death” is very Ennio Morricone. The hypnotic guitar gallops over the twisted-waltz background like a spaghetti Western storm. Whether in instrumental or full-on, black-shirted maverick mode Sartain maintains his authenticity without sounding derivative. Check him out at Brighton’s Freebut on May 18.

7/10, out 10 May 2010.
Words by Mike Fawcett

Dan Sartain Lives: new review

This time, the review is made by isthismusic.

Contest in leedsguide.co.uk: Win 2 tickets to Dan Sartain's Leeds Show & a copy of Dan Sartain Lives.

Everything is in the title. To read the article and enter the contest just click here.

Dan Sartain Lives: Reviews

• on highvoltage
• on vanguard online

The artrocker review was posted sooner here.

Dan Sartain interview on spoonfed.co.uk

The self-proclaimed poor man's Chris Issak.

(...)

Is it just us, or have you been going for a new sexy image lately? Your new record cover has you looking like a cross between Bryan Ferry and Steve Buscemi.

Sexy was not the first thing that came to mind when we chose the cover image. If you think it's sexy, that's cool, but I'm just fond of the picture. Besides which, image is secondary. The sounds are what's important.

My favourite drummer is Karen Carpenter, and one of my favourite singers is Glen Danzig, and if I judged those people on how they looked rather than how they preformed, I'd like neither of them.

(...)

OK. What's with all the cobra/snake references?

The cobras are metaphors for people who behave as if they were animals.

(...)

The whole interview here.

...and NME doesn't know how to search a pic

As you could see on previous post, the NME used the mock-up of the cover posted on this blog instead of the real artwork to illustrate the review of Atheist Funeral.

And then OneLittleIndian sent me an email to ask me to clarify the situation. So if a lazy journalist want to use a picture of the Atheist Funeral cover, you have to use THIS ONE (even if I prefer the mock-up):

NME doesn't like Atheist Funeral...

That review was published on the 8th May 2010 UK NME:

The funny part is that they used the mock-up of the cover to illustrate the review and not the promo CD cover.

(Someone just told me that the review was made by La Roux which was a guest reviewer)

Dan Sartain in NARC magazine

Dan Sartain is on the cover of North East Music Magazine Narc this May.

More information here.

Dan Sartain Lives: First Album Review

Artrocker made the following review of Dan Sartain Lives:

Low down? Dan Sartain wisely chose Liam Watson’s Toerag studio to record his new LP - Dan Sartain Lives. Dan’s rumbling, voo doo shaking rockabilly suits Toerag’s special line in reverb heavy retrorama, resulting in his best LP to date. Stand out tracks are Bohemian Grove - a stomping garage rock tune with perfect fuzz and cynicism, and Ruby Carol with heavy slapping on the double bass and heavy twang on the guitar.

Sounds like? Link Wray rumbling with Johnny Horton, with the Oblivians standing round them in a circle shouting ‘fight fight!’ while HP Lovecraft films the proceedings on a super 8.
Shit sandwich? Reverb sandwich!

Marks out of 10? 8/10

Recommended? Hell yes!

Read more: http://www.artrocker.com/node/22868#ixzz0kPHSij7t

Press of the Week

Some press about the album release and the tour dates:

the music fix

the-fly.co.uk

clashmusic

ALTsounds

NME

Press about new Dan Sartain single & album

Altsounds

The Music Fix

"Old Press" Review part II

Photo: David Wala for the RollingStone.com article

Here, an article/intervew from RollingStone.com writen during the Dan Sartain 2006 european tour.

"Old Press" Review part II

The UK magazine NME made a couple of reviews about Dan Sartain records or live show. Here are some of them:

• Replacement Man Single
• Tought it Over Single

• Show in London @ King's Cross (5th March 2006)
• Show in London @ Luminaire (20th August 2008)